The North American International Auto Show will move from January to June in 2020, a new timeslot that organizers are betting will help revive the flagging momentum of what had long been one of the industry’s most important annual events.

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association had signaled its intention of abandoning its traditional, mid-winter schedule, though a switch to October was also under study. But that would have conflicted with other shows in Europe and Asia, the dealer group’s Executive Director Rod Alberts told TheDetroitBureau.com in an exclusive interview.

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In a background briefing ahead of today’s official announcement, Alberts said one of the advantages of a summer event is the ability to add new functions that expand beyond the confines of Detroit’s sprawling Cobo Hall convention center. “We realized we have to change the show (and) showcase Detroit, too,” said Alberts, who has been running the DADA for the past 28 years.

Ford has a history of making news at the Geneva Motor Show, like the introduction Focus RS.

The list of automakers pulling out of auto shows just got one name longer: Ford is skipping the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said the show’s timing didn’t fit its launch schedule and wouldn’t represent good value. It’s the second major automaker that has pulled out of the show, Volvo being the first.

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“It costs a sizeable amount of money,” a Ford of Europe spokesman told Automotive News Europe. “If you’re not going make a return on the investment in terms of media attention or people on the stand, why do it?” (more…)

Audi has traditionally used the NAIAS for major intros, like the Q8 Concept it debuted in 2017.

Already hit by key defections, the organizers of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit learned Thursday that Audi will also be a no-show in January 2019 – though the luxury arm of Volkswagen Group said it will “continue to evaluate” a return at a later date.

A once-regional event, the NAIAS became the most significant auto show in the U.S., and one of the world’s most widely watched, when it added the “International” designation in 1989. At its peak around the start of the new millennium, Detroit could count on virtually every manufacturer to participate, with some years seeing more than 70 new cars, trucks, concepts and crossovers debut.

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As the industry plunged into recession, things began to change. Some manufacturers, such as Nissan, pulled out temporarily, but others decided to abandon the Motor City event entirely. That included some of the most exclusive marques, like Ferrari, as well as mainstream and luxury brands like Mazda, which was a hold out this past January. Volvo had no corporate presence, though its local dealers did roll a few vehicles into Detroit’s Cobo Hall convention center. Now, it seems, the exodus is turning into a rout. Audi follows Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche in planning to stay home next January. (more…)

The BMW i Vision Dynamics made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Already planning to skip the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January, BMW is reportedly planning to sharply scale back its presence at European events like the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, according to a German news report, and it could abandon some of those entirely, as well.

The news comes as automakers large and small start to rethink their commitment to traditional auto shows which, the latest thinking goes, don’t generate the bang-for-the-buck they once did. At the same time, manufacturers are being offered a range of new alternatives, whether tech-focused events like CES or even one-brand shows that avoid the need for a carmaker to share the stage with competitors.

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BMW is planning to slash as much as 75% of its 2019 auto show budget, reports the German business publication Handelsblatt. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, where BMW had previously gone so far as constructing an indoor driving track, it will have just a 10,000 square foot display at the next event down from 36,000 in 2017.

Prior to being tapped to head VW after its diesel scandal broke, Matthias Mueller ran Porsche.

Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Mueller is expected to be forced out at a management meeting Friday, with VW brand boss Herbert Diess expected to replace him, according to reports out of Germany.

The shake-up, which has apparently been in the works for months, has the blessing of some of VW’s top shareholders, as well as its chairman and powerful labor chief. It will mark the most extensive management moves since shortly after the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal broke in September 2015.

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VW issued a short statement noting it is considering “a further development of the management structure of the group which would also be associated with personnel changes in the board of management.” The statement hinted that changes under study “could include” the naming of a new CEO, adding that Mueller himself “showed his willingness to contribute,” suggesting the 64-year-old executive might voluntarily step aside rather than fight to retain his post. He is currently under a contract set to continue through 2020.

The Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo is just a "study" for now, but expect a production version to follow.

Few marques have been more willing to buck tradition than Porsche. True, performance is the brand’s hallmark, but starting with the launch of the original Cayenne SUV, the Stuttgart-based carmaker has repeatedly pushed beyond its comfort zone.

As radical as a Porsche SUV might once have seemed, however, that was nowhere near as radical as the decision to launch an all-electric sports car, the Mission E barely than a year away from production. And, as we learned today at the Geneva Motor Show, that battery sports car is likely to soon have a companion in the form of Mission E Cross Turismo.

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‘The Mission E Cross Turismo is an expression of how we envision the all-electric future. It combines sportiness and everyday practicality in unique style,” said Porsche AG CEO Oliver Blume. “Our vehicle will be fast to drive, but also quick to recharge and able to replicate its performance time after time.”

Inside the new Panamera is covered in Alcantara, one of many high-end vehicle's using the material.

Alcantara, the Italian maker of material finding its way into more and more luxury vehicles, has tripled its sales since the recession and is adding more capacity at its home base in Italy, according to the company’s chairman and chief executive Andrea Boragno.

Boragno said Alcantara’s Italian manufacturing base is a vital part of its character and its broad appeal to a growing list of carmakers such as Alfa Romeo, Lexus, Lincoln, Nissan and Volkswagen.

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“The growing appeal of Alcantara is one of the reasons why we have announced a five-year investment program totaling 300 Euros million in order to double the company’s overall production capacity,” Boragno said. (more…)